Shooting target apparatus having pneumatic drive mechanism

ABSTRACT

A pneumatically-driven shooting target apparatus that can transition between presented and concealed positions and can be used in a variety of shooting environments. The shooting target apparatus generally includes a frame, a movable target holder, a pneumatic drive mechanism attached to the movable target holder, and a target assembly. According to one embodiment, activation of the drive mechanism rotates a target between a horizontal concealed position which is hidden from the shooter, and a vertical presented position that is visible to the shooter. In another embodiment, activation of the drive mechanism causes an obstruction that is concealing the target to rotate out of the way, at the same time that the target is lifted and presented to the shooter.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Ser. No.60/692,813 filed on Jun. 22, 2005, the entire contents of which arehereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to shooting targets, and morespecifically, to movable shooting targets such as those used inautomated targeting systems found in shooting ranges.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various types of shooting targets have been developed and sold,including both stationary and moving targets. Their designs vary widelyand are largely driven by the particular needs of the shooter and thespecific environment in which the targets are used.

For instance, standard bulls-eye type targets having a retrieval drivemechanism powered by an electric motor are commonly found in shootingrange firing lanes and are used by shooters who want to practiceshooting at a stationary target. Pop-up type targets and moving targets,on the other hand, provide the shooter with a more dynamic targetenvironment, and sometimes move the target with a drive mechanism thatis powered by either pneumatic, electric or hydraulic means.

Some examples of different types of shooting targets are disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 6,808,177 issued to Dehart; U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,376 toElliott et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,227 to Bateman and U.S. Pat. No.3,515,388 to Zachmeier.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a shootingtarget apparatus capable of transitioning between presented andconcealed positions. The apparatus comprises a frame, a drive mechanism,a movable target holder, and a target assembly, whereby activation ofthe drive mechanism rotates a generally flat component of the targetassembly through an angular range so that the apparatus can transitionbetween presented and concealed positions.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda shooting target apparatus that comprises a frame, a movable targetholder, a pneumatic drive mechanism, and a target assembly. Wherebyactivation of the pneumatic drive mechanism causes: i) an air cylinderto move the movable target holder, ii) the target assembly to rotateabout a first pivot axis, and iii) the target assembly to rotate about asecond pivot axis as the second pivot axis moves in a path around thefirst pivot axis.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a shooting target apparatus that comprises a frame, a movabletarget holder, a pneumatic drive mechanism, and a target assembly.Whereby activation of the pneumatic drive mechanism causes: i) an aircylinder to move the movable target holder, ii) a target to move betweenlowered and raised positions, and iii) an obstruction to rotate betweenpositions that conceal and present the target.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects, features and advantages of this invention willbe apparent from the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments and best mode, the appended claims and the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of a shooting targetapparatus, where solid lines denote the target in a presented positionand phantom lines denote the target in a concealed position;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the shooting target apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan or top view of the shooting target apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of a second embodiment of a shooting targetapparatus, where again solid lines demonstrate the target in a presentedposition and phantom lines demonstrate the target in a concealedposition;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the shooting target apparatus of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a plan or top view of the shooting target apparatus of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The shooting target apparatus disclosed herein is a pneumatically-drivendevice that provides a shooter with a dynamic and engaging targetshooting experience and can be used in a number of different capacities,including indoor and outdoor training, competition, and recreationalsettings. Depending upon the particular manner in which it is used, theshooting target apparatus can be set up by itself as a stand-alonetarget, with other targets as part of a larger shooting course, in atraditional shooting lane, or in any other target shooting applicationknown to those skilled in the art.

With reference to a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, shooting targetapparatus 10 rotates a target between a vertically-aligned ‘presentedposition’ (shown in solid lines) and a horizontally-aligned ‘concealedposition’ (shown in phantom), and generally includes a frame 14, amovable target holder 16, a drive mechanism 18, and a target assembly20.

Frame 14 acts as a foundation for supporting the other components ofshooting target apparatus 10, and generally includes a base 28, a pairof mounting receptacles 30, 32, and a pair of upright posts 34, 36. Ofcourse, other frame constructions can also be used, including framesformed with plates, ones having wheels or other components for improvedportability, or ones made from materials other than steel, to name but afew possibilities. Base 28 preferably includes several,transversely-connected steel members that lie on the ground to provide asolid foundation for the apparatus. Mounting receptacles 30, 32 arewelded or otherwise attached to base 28 and receive posts 34, 36,respectively, so that the posts are maintained in a vertically-uprightand generally parallel orientation. Quick-release pins 38, 40, which canbe connected to mounting receptacles 30, 32 with cables to prevent themfrom being lost, are used to non-permanently secure the upright posts intheir corresponding receptacles. This makes for easy assembly anddisassembly of the shooting target apparatus. Post 36 is preferably anelongated component with a lower end 42 sturdily attached to mountingreceptacle 32 via quick-release pin 40, and an upper end 44 thatincludes an opening 46 for rotatably receiving a pin, ear, dowel, orsome other component of the target assembly 20. This rotatableconnection allows target assembly 20 to rotate about a first pivot axisA when being driven between concealed and presented positions, as willbe subsequently explained in more detail. Because of their similarity, aseparate description of post 34 has been omitted.

Movable target holder 16 rotatably supports target assembly 20 on asecond pivot axis B and is coupled to drive mechanism 18 so that it canmove up and down during operation. According to the embodiment shownhere, the movable target holder preferably includes a horizontal liftbar 60, a pair of mounting receptacles 62, 64, a pair of upright posts66, 68, a roller mount bracket 70, a pair of rollers 72, 74, and a pairof corresponding roller guides 76, 78. Lift bar 60 essentially extendsthe width of the shooting target apparatus and carries a mountingreceptacle 62, 64 at each end, as well as the roller mount bracket 70.The mounting receptacles 62, 64, which are welded or otherwise attachedto lift bar 60, respectively receive upright posts 66, 68 via quickrelease pins similar to those previously described such that the postsare maintained in a generally vertical orientation. Upright post 68includes a lower end 84 that fits into mounting receptacle 64 and anupper end 86 that preferably includes an opening 88 for rotatablyreceiving a pin, ear, dowel, or some other pivotal component oftarget-assembly 20. It should, of course, be appreciated thatalternatively target assembly 20 could include the opening and the upperend of post 68 could include the protruding item. Regardless of theparticular implementation, this rotatable connection enables the targetassembly to pivot about the second pivot axis B. Roller mount bracket 70is welded to lift bar 60 and rotatably carries rollers 72, 74 which actas wheels for rolling up and down within roller guides 76, 78,respectively. The roller guides are preferably vertical channels madefrom angled steel and are sized to receive the rollers such that theyfreely roll up and down under the power of drive mechanism 18, but do soin a stable manner.

Pneumatic drive mechanism 18 uses pressurized air to drive movabletarget holder 16 up and down, thereby rotating target assembly 20 sothat the target transitions between presented and concealed positions.Preferably, the pneumatic drive mechanism includes an air connection 90,a valve 92, and an actuator or air cylinder 94. Pressurized air from acompressor or some type of air rail is provided to connection 90 (allair connections preferably use push lock or other quick-releasefittings) and is regulated by an electrically controlled valve 92. Airconnection 90, as well as other components of the pneumatic drivemechanism, can be protected from stray bullets with a shield likecomponent 78, which also serves as a guide for roller 74. Air cylinder94 is preferably a dual-direction, single-rod pneumatic cylinder thathas a lower end pivotally attached to base 28 and an upper end attachedto lift bar 60. The pivotal connection to the base is accomplished witha clevis bracket or some other type of connection that allows the aircylinder 94 to pivot slightly during operation, as will be explained.

Target assembly 20 includes a target 96 and a pair of pivot plates 98and is designed for easy rotation between presented and concealedpositions. Target 96 is a generally flat component that preferably hastarget-related indicia on its surface, such as those that conform withInternational Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) guidelines.Furthermore, target 96 can be in the shape of a person, animal, or someinanimate object, with one or more zones indicating the quality ofdifferent shots, for example. Each of the pivot plates 98 is mounted toa side of target 96 and has a pair of holes; the first of whichcorresponds with opening 46 in post 36, and the second of whichcorresponds with opening 88 in post 68. Preferably, these openingsreceive dowels which are secured by cotter-type pins and allow forpivotal movement of target 96 about both of axes A and B.

During operation, drive mechanism 18 moves the movable target holder 16up and down so that the target assembly 20 is rotated between presentedand concealed positions. Beginning with the presented position shown insolid lines, activation of the pneumatic drive mechanism causes aircylinder 94 to extend its rod such that lift bar 60 of the movabletarget holder 16 is pushed upwards. This in turn causes rollers 72, 74to roll upwards within roller guides 76, 78 and causes the upper ends ofposts 66, 68 to exert an upward force on the target assembly. As targetassembly 20 is being pushed upwards, it is pivoting about both axis Aand axis B, which causes target 96 to rotate counter-clockwise(indicated with arrows) through an angular range of about ninetydegrees. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the upper end 86 ofpost 68 most follow an arcuate path C in order for target assembly 20 torotate about axis A. Thus, axis B moves along arcuate path C around axisA, so that it is repositioned with respect to axis A. Once thisoperation is complete, target 96 ends up in a horizontally-aligned orconcealed position (shown in phantom). A subsequent activation ofpneumatic drive mechanism 18 causes target assembly 20 to pivot back tothe presented position, but this time in a clockwise direction.

Turning now to FIGS. 4-6, there is shown a second embodiment of shootingtarget apparatus 110 that lifts a target upwards so that it is presentedto the shooter at the same time that an obstruction is rotated downwardsto expose the target; this is also referred to as a lift-and-tiltconfiguration. According to the embodiment shown here, shooting targetapparatus 110 generally includes a frame 114, a movable target holder116, a drive mechanism 118, and a target assembly 120. It should beappreciated that some of the components of this second embodiment aresimilar to those previously described in connection with the firstembodiment. Thus, where appropriate, the previous explanations anddescriptions of components, parts, assemblies, functionality, etc.,apply to this embodiment as well.

As before, frame 114 functions as a supportive framework for the othercomponents of the shooting target apparatus, and preferably includesseveral, transversely-connected steel members including base 128 andupright posts 130, 132 which are attached to the base. The frame canfurther include a number of additional items, such as steel gussets foradded strength, protective angle irons, mounting receptacles, componentsfor electrical and/or pneumatic connections, wheels, etc.

Movable target holder 116 has a spring-loaded linkage-type constructionand carries target assembly 120 while moving between a raised position(shown in solid lines) and a lowered position (shown in phantom). Themovable target holder preferably includes a pair of lower linkagemembers 140, 142, a pair of upper linkage members 144, 146, a lift bar148, a pair of upright members 150, 152, and a pair of springs 154. Thelower and upper linkage members 140-146 are pivotally attached toupright posts 130, 132 with hardware such as shoulder bolts, flangebearings, thrust washers, and/or nuts so that the linkage members cansmoothly move through a range of motion. Lift bar 148 is transverselyconnected between upper linkage members 144, 146 and provides themovable target holder with lateral support. All four linkage members aredesigned to move together such that they stay in a relatively parallelorientation throughout their range of motion. Upright members 150, 152pivotally interact with the various linkage members and are designed tostay in a generally vertical orientation during operation. Optional stopbrackets can be attached to either the upper or lower linkage members inorder to limit the range of motion during extension of the linkagemembers. Springs 154 exert a downward force on the movable targetholder, and are preferably attached to base 128 at a lower end andupright posts 150, 152 at an upper end so that they extend in agenerally diagonal direction. The springs assist in stabilizing thevarious linkage members during operation, and provide a downward biasthat is helpful in returning the apparatus to a concealed position.

Drive mechanism 118 is also preferably driven with pneumatic power anduses an air connection 160, a valve 162, and a single-rod actuator orair cylinder 164 to raise movable target holder 116 up and down.According to the embodiment shown here, the lower end of air cylinder160 is attached to base 128 and the upper or rod end of the air cylinderis attached to lift bar 148; preferably, both of these connections aremade with a clevis bracket or some other type of pivotal connection. Airconnection 160 can include a pipe tee welded to base 128 with a standard37-degree fitting, as an example, and the entire drive mechanism 118 ispreferably protected behind an angle iron or other shielding component166.

Target assembly 120 is designed to lift and tilt so that a target isselectively concealed from and revealed to a shooter, and generallyincludes a first pair of posts 180, 182 for supporting an obstruction184, and a second pair of posts 186, 188 for supporting a target 190.Posts 180, 182 can be welded directly to upper linkage members 144, 146,respectively, or they can be attached via mounting receptacles such asthose previously described. In either event, the posts 180, 182 shouldbe fixedly attached to the upper linkage members so that a uniform angleθ is maintained during rotation of the obstruction. Obstruction 184,which is a generally flat component, is mounted to posts 180, 182 andblocks the shooter's view of target 190 when the apparatus is in aconcealed position (shown in phantom lines). Posts 186, 188, on theother hand, are rotatably attached to upright members 150, 152,respectively, and are designed to stay in an upright or verticalorientation so that a varying angle ψ (extending between post 188 andupper linkage member 146) during movement of the target. As isdemonstrated in FIG. 5, angle ψ is greater when the apparatus is fullyextended and is presenting target 190 to the shooter (solid lines), thanit is in the concealed or retracted position where the target is hiddenfrom the shooter (phantom lines). Again, the target can be a IPSC-typetarget, or it can be a target of a different type and/or size. In anycase, the obstruction 184 should be large enough to fully obstruct orconceal target 190 when shooting target apparatus 110 is in theconcealed position.

During operation, the pneumatic drive mechanism 118 moves the movabletarget holder 116 up and down so that the apparatus 110 is transitionedbetween presented and concealed positions. Beginning with the concealedposition shown in phantom lines, the shooter is unable to view thetarget 190 because the obstruction 184 is blocking their view. Uponactivation of air cylinder 164, the drive mechanism exerts a force onlift bar 148 which causes the lower and upper linkage members 140-146 tobe extend upwards. As these linkage members are extending, theorientation of posts 180, 182, with respect to upper linkage members144, 146, remains constant (angle θ) and thereby causes obstruction 184to rotate or tilt downwardly and expose the target to the shooter. Atthe same time, target 190 is lifted upwardly into a presented positionthat can be viewed by the shooter. In the presented position, the rod ofair cylinder 164 is fully extended and springs 154 are tensioned.Further activation of the pneumatic drive mechanism 118 causes a reverseaction which, with the help of springs 154, quickly returns obstruction184 and target 190 to the concealed position previously described.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description is not adefinition of the invention itself, but is a description of one or morepreferred exemplary embodiments of the invention. The invention is notlimited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed herein, but rather isdefined solely by the claims below. Furthermore, the statementscontained in the foregoing description relate to particular embodimentsand are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of the inventionor on the definition of terms used in the claims, except where a term orphrase is expressly defined above. Various other embodiments and variouschanges and modifications to the disclosed embodiment(s) will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art. All such other embodiments,changes, and modifications are intended to come within the scope of theappended claims.

For instance, it is possible to replace the pneumatic drive mechanismwith another adapted power source, such as an electric motor, ahydraulic drive mechanism, or some other drive mechanism know to thoseskilled in the art. Furthermore, one or more protective angle irons orother shielding-type components can be added to any one of the shootingtarget embodiments to protect their components from stray bullets. Thisis particularly useful for protecting the components of the pneumaticdrive mechanism, although other components can and should be protectedas well. Even though most of the components described above arepreferably made of steel, they could alternatively be made of aluminumor another metal, plastic, composite, wood, or any other suitablematerial known to those skilled in the art, such as Amortex which is abullet proof material made of fiberglass and resins.

Furthermore, one of any number of additional features could be added toany one of the embodiments described above. For example, positionsensing switches could be used throughout any one of the shootingtargets in order to provide an electronic controller with feedback as tothe position of one or more components. It is also possible to use theshooting target in a larger targeting system where some type of maincontrol unit communicates with each of the shooting targets so that theyfunction in a coordinated manner as the shooter advances through acourse. In that regard, the various shooting targets and the maincontrol unit may communicate via some type of wired medium or even awireless link. These are, of course, only some of the additionalfeatures that may be used with any number of the embodiments disclosedherein, as other features and aspects of the shooting targets would beapparent to those skilled in the art.

As used in this specification and claims, the terms “for example,” “forinstance,” “such as,” and “like”, and the verbs “comprising,” “having,”“including,” and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with alisting of one or more components or other items, are each to beconstrued as open-ended, meaning that that the listing is not to beconsidered as excluding other, additional components or items. Otherterms are to be construed using their broadest reasonable meaning unlessthey are used in a context that requires a different interpretation.

1. A shooting target apparatus capable of transitioning betweenpresented and concealed positions, comprising: a frame; a drivemechanism mounted to said frame; a movable target holder coupled to saiddrive mechanism; and a target assembly coupled to said movable targetholder and having at least one generally flat component, whereinactivation of said drive mechanism rotates said generally flat componentthrough an angular range so that said apparatus can transition betweensaid presented and concealed positions.
 2. The shooting target apparatusof claim 1, wherein said frame includes a first pair of upright postshaving lower ends that attach to a base, and upper ends that rotatablysupport said target assembly on a first pivot axis.
 3. The shootingtarget apparatus of claim 2, wherein said movable target holder includesa second pair of upright posts having lower ends that attach to a liftbar and upper ends that rotatably support said target assembly on asecond pivot axis.
 4. The shooting target apparatus of claim 3, whereinsaid movable target holder further includes at least one roller elementfor providing smooth movement in response to activation of said drivemechanism.
 5. The shooting target apparatus of claim 4, wherein saidgenerally flat component of said target assembly is a target for ashooter to shoot at.
 6. The shooting target apparatus of claim 5,wherein activation of said drive mechanism can: i) raise said lift bar,ii) reposition said second pivot axis with respect to said first pivotaxis, and iii) rotate said target assembly about said first pivot axisso that said target transitions between a vertically-aligned presentedposition and a horizontally-aligned concealed position.
 7. The shootingtarget apparatus of claim 1, wherein said movable target holder includesa plurality of linkage members for supporting said target assembly. 8.The shooting target apparatus of claim 7, wherein said generally flatcomponent of said target assembly is an obstruction for concealing atarget from a shooter.
 9. The shooting target apparatus of claim 8,wherein activation of said drive mechanism can: i) extend said linkagesystem, ii) raise said target, and iii) rotate said obstruction so thatit transitions between a vertically-aligned position concealing saidtarget and a horizontally-aligned position presenting said target. 10.The shooting target apparatus of claim 1, wherein said drive mechanismis a pneumatic system that includes an air cylinder and a controllablevalve.
 11. A shooting target apparatus, comprising: a frame including afirst plurality of upright posts; a movable target holder including asecond plurality of upright posts; a pneumatic drive mechanism includingan air cylinder attached to said frame and said movable target holder;and a target assembly rotatably coupled to said first plurality of postsvia a first pivot axis and rotatably coupled to said second plurality ofposts via a second pivot axis, wherein activation of said pneumaticdrive mechanism causes: i) said air cylinder to move said movable targetholder, ii) said target assembly to rotate about said first pivot axis,and iii) said target assembly to rotate about said second pivot axis assaid second pivot axis moves in a path around said first pivot axis. 12.The shooting target apparatus of claim 11, wherein said movable targetholder further includes at least one roller for providing smooth travelof said movable target holder.
 13. The shooting target apparatus ofclaim 12, wherein said air cylinder includes a first end attached tosaid frame via a pivotal connection for providing said movement of saidsecond pivot axis around said first pivot axis.
 14. The shooting targetapparatus of claim 11, wherein said frame further includes a shield forprotecting said pneumatic drive mechanism.
 15. A shooting targetapparatus, comprising: a frame including a plurality of upright posts; amovable target holder including a plurality of linkage members; apneumatic drive mechanism including an air cylinder attached to saidframe and said movable target holder; and a target assembly attached tosaid movable target holder and including an obstruction and a target,wherein activation of said pneumatic drive mechanism causes: i) said aircylinder to move said movable target holder, ii) said target to movebetween lowered and raised positions, and iii) said obstruction torotate between positions that conceal and present said target.
 16. Theshooting target apparatus of claim 15, wherein said plurality of linkagemembers includes upper and lower linkage members that generally movetogether in a parallel manner.
 17. The shooting target apparatus ofclaim 15, wherein said obstruction is fixedly attached to said movabletarget holder such that a uniform angle is maintained therebetweenduring rotation of said obstruction.
 18. The shooting target apparatusof claim 15, wherein said target is rotatably attached to said movabletarget holder such that a varying angle is maintained therebetweenduring movement of said target.
 19. The shooting target apparatus ofclaim 15, wherein said movable target holder further includes at leastone spring attached to said frame and one of said linkage members. 20.The shooting target apparatus of claim 15, wherein said frame furtherincludes a shield for protecting said pneumatic drive mechanism.